Enter any address in Dale County, Alabama to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events dominates the flood risk profile in Dale County, supported by frequent tropical storm impacts over the last thirty years. NOAA storm records document significant events such as the peripheral tropical storm force winds and effects from Hurricane Helene in September 2024, as well as a slow-moving cold front on March 18, 2022, that produced 4 to 7 inches of rain in a short period and caused flash flooding.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate that historical claims are concentrated in designated high-risk and moderate-to-low-risk areas. Zone A properties account for 68 claims with an average payout of $34,207 and an average recorded water depth of 8 inches. Zone X properties account for 67 claims with an average payout of $25,679 and an average recorded water depth of 4 inches, while unshaded Zone X properties average $51,611 per claim across 7 claims with an average recorded water depth of 6 inches.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties located within Zone A and unshaded Zone X areas, where historical claims reflect higher average payouts and significant recorded water depths during heavy rain and tropical weather events.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
21 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Dale County, Alabama has recorded 50 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 31 flash floods and 7 river or area floods. The county has received 33 federal disaster declarations, 2 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1975–2024)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene | Hurricane | Sep 22, 2024 |
| Hurricane Sally | Hurricane | Sep 14, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | Apr 19, 2020 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Hurricane Michael | Hurricane | Oct 10, 2018 |
| Hurricane Nate | Hurricane | Oct 6, 2017 |
| Hurricane Irma | Hurricane | Sep 8, 2017 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Dec 23, 2015 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Apr 28, 2014 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm | Sep 26, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 29, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Mar 18, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 16, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Aug 16, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 16, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 16, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | May 28, 2018 | — |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 10, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jan 21, 2017 | 0.00K |
Tropical Storm — Sep 26, 2024
Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph and a minimum central pressure of 938 mb (27.70 inches) at about 11:10 PM EDT on Thursday, September 26th, in Taylor County Florida just east of the Aucilla River. Helene quickly moved inland across Taylor and Madison Counties before moving into Lowndes County in South Central Georgia. The hurricane...
Flash Flood — Jun 29, 2022
A cluster of slow moving thunderstorms produced some isolated flash flooding across southern portions of Dale county.
Flash Flood — Mar 18, 2022
A slow moving cold front brought showers and thunderstorms to the area on March 18th. Thunderstorms trained over the same areas in some instances, resulting in flash flooding due to heavy rain amounts of 4-7 inches falling in a short period of time. In addition, there were a couple of reports of downed trees and large hail.
Flash Flood — Aug 16, 2021
After moving across the Greater Antilles and weakening, the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred strengthened into a tropical storm once again in the Gulf of Mexico and made landfall near Cape San Blas with maximum sustained winds near 65 mph on August 16th. The storm brought flooding and strong winds to numerous areas of the tri-state region. Rainfall amounts were generally in the 3 to 9 inch rang...
Tropical Storm — Aug 16, 2021
After moving across the Greater Antilles and weakening, the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred strengthened into a tropical storm once again in the Gulf of Mexico and made landfall near Cape San Blas with maximum sustained winds near 65 mph on August 16th. The storm brought flooding and strong winds to numerous areas of the tri-state region. Rainfall amounts were generally in the 3 to 9 inch rang...
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Dale County, Alabama:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Dale County, Alabama that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with a mortgage from a federally regulated or insured lender, or a federally backed loan, are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.